Toy automobile race device with roll-over ramp



1967 c. w. WARREN 3,336,695

TOY AUTOMOBILE RACE DEVICE WITH ROLLOVER RAMP Filed Nov. 10, 1964 v 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 UHmliiilm IWimnw mumnmmm g mmliiilijmmm INVE OR. CHARLES W EN Aug. 22. 1967 I c. w. WARREN TOY AUTOMOBILE RACE DEVICE WITH ROLL-OVER RAMP 'Filed Nov. 10, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG .4

CHARLES W WARREN United States Patent 3,336,695 TOY AUTOMOBILE RACE DEVICE WITH ROLL-OVER RAMP Charles W. Warren, 205 Wisteria Drive, Melbourne, Fla. 32901 Filed Nov. 10, 1964, Ser. No. 410,092 4 Claims. (Cl. 46-240) This invention relates in general to automobile toys and more particularly to an exhibition in which a plurality of toy automobiles are continuously propelled around a race course during which travel they are rolled over by an inclined ramp means on the course.

Prior games of this general character comprehend toy automobiles propelled by rotating magnetic means following a prescribed course usually adapted to simulate a race.

Reference is had to applicants pending US. application for Toy Racing Game, Ser. No. 292,622, filed July 3, 1963.

The present invention provides more spectacular entertainment than prior devices, in that during the traverse of the cars around a given course by magnetic means, certain autos will be caused to roll over and assume a righted position in a realistic manner during their traverse of the course, which construction provides a principal feature of the invention.

Another object of the invention is to provide the continuous travel of a plurality of toy automobiles about a course with a sequential movement of each car toward outer lanes of the course in which lanes the cars encounter a roll-over ramp which rolls and deflects each auto for movement around an innermost lane of the course.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a fixed planar panel on which an endless course is defined including a power driven rotor means under said panel having a plurality of permanent magnet means positioned thereon for magnetically attracting and rotating a plurality of cars On said panel about said course in sequential predetermined paths.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a planar panel on which a toy race course is defined including an inclined ramp positioned to be traversed by a pair of wheels on the same side of a toy auto moving about the course.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a planar nonmagnetic panel having a toy race course defined thereon including a power driven rotor means positioned'for rotation under said panel about an axis normal thereto and central to said course and a plurality of permanent magnets positioned on said rotor for continuously attracting and moving toy autos on said panel within said course for predetermined interchanges of position thereon during their traverse of said course.

These and other objects and advantages in one embodiment of the invention are shown in the following specification and drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of the toy in reduced scale with a portion broken away.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary plan view of the broken away portion shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary plan view of the construction shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 with elements in changed position.

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view taken through section line 4-4, FIG. 3, illustrating the roll-over path of a toy auto.

FIG. 5 is a cross sectional elevation taken through section line 5-5, FIG. 3, illustrating the position of a toy auto at the approach of a roll-over ramp.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a planar panel 1 of nonmagnetic material is supported in a horizontal position by "ice a suitable frame 2 on which a closed course 3 is defined by paint process. A platform rotor 4 is journalled in frame 2 for rotation about an axis a normal to panel 1 and centrally positioned with respect to course 3. The rotor is positioned in spaced relation to the underside of panel 1, better shown in FIG. 4. A gear 5 coaxial with axis a is secured to the platform 4 by suitable screws 6 and meshed with a pinion 7 driven by a gear motor 8 secured in frame 2 for clockwise rotation as illustrated by arrows.

In a preferred embodiment having the maximum course diameter of 1 /2 feet, the platform is adapted to rotate at approximately 20 rpm.

Four permanent magnet bars 9 of equal length are radially secured on the platform, as shown. A longer bar magnet 10 is radially positioned on platform 4, as shown, and intermediate and short bar magnets 11- and 12 are also secured to the platform in divergent positions, as shown. Each of the bar magnets are transversely polarized as illustrated and are preferably molded from a ferrite compound.

Noncylindrical permanent traction magnets 13 having vertical axes normal to rotor 4 are secured to the rotor in relation to ends of the bar magnets 9, as shown, and are vertically polarized.

Toy autos 14-18, diagrammatically shown in FIG. 2, are characterized by the auto shown in FIG. 5, and are provided with free running wheels with the front pair thereof canted for traversing a circular path. Each of the autos has a semi-circular transverse roll-bar 19 secured to the body of the auto, as shown, and a vertically polarized permanent follower magnet 20 is secured in lower forward portion of the auto body in close proximity to the course.

Referring to FIGS. 1, 3, 4, and 5, an inclined ramp 21 is secured by well known means to the course 3, as shown, in an outer path of travel on said course for engaging and diverting the said autos moving in said path.

In operation and under the assumption that the rotor is rotated at a predetermined speed and referring to FIG. 2, and when the cars 1418 are bunched, as shown, above the path of movement of the bar and traction magnets on platform 4 then within one revolution of the platform the autos will indiscriminately assume positions of travel on course 3, illustrated in FIG. 3, by virtue of the attraction between the bar and the traction magnets on the platform and each magnet 20 in each auto. The indiscriminate positioning of the autos may be modified by modification in weight, cant of front wheels and other physical modifications where certain autos will assume either inner or outer paths of rotation on the course 3.

In this embodiment, when the outer wheels only of an auto moving in the next to the outer path engage the ramp 21, it will be tilted as shown in FIG. 4 and caused to laterally gyrate and roll-over to a re-righted position by virtue of the roll-bar 19 and the low center of gravity of the auto, which results from the placement of magnet 20 in a path in close relation to the center of rotation of platform 4 where a bar magnet 10 will attract the magnet 20 in the righted car and begin the movement thereof around an inner path of the course. This rotation is subject to centrifugal force and hence the auto will simultaneously slide in an outward direction from axis a by the influence of the bar magnets 9, 11 or 12 dependent upon the position of the auto on the course.

The cylindrical magnets 13 are positioned at the ends of the bar magnets as shown for more firmly retaining control of the autos in two outer paths on course 13 and to assure suflicient attraction between the rotor and the outermost autos to be able to negotiate the ramp a sufiicient distance to either cause the auto to laterally roll over or to be projected over the high end of the ramp. The cylindrical traction magnets also cause the autos to assume proper forward position following disarrangement by roll over or collision. The bar magnet 12 extending close to the outer periphery of the course acts upon the magnets in the autos to urge same toward the outer path of the course whereas the magnet extending close to the center of rotation of the rotor effectively moves disabled autos in the center of the course into rotation about an inner path about axis a. The centrifugal force then affecting each auto will cause it to move toward the outer paths of rotation in the course to become more efiiciently guided by the outer cylindrical magnets 13.

As a result of the variations in the effect of the ramp upon the moving cars, collisions, reversals and roll overs occur indiscriminately and only when a car is moved outward from the course will it become permanently idle. Generally when cars encounter the ramp they assume inward positions and immediately tend to again move outward into a path toward the ramp.

in the event this toy is to be non-disabling, then a smooth circular fence 22 is secured to panel 1 around boundary of the course 3 for retaining the autos within the attractive force of the magnets on the rotor.

It is understood that certain modifications in the construction, utilizing the features above described, are intended to come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. An auto exhibition toy comprising a horizontal nonmagnetic planar panel means having an auto course defined on the upper surface thereof,

a toy auto having free running front and rear wheels including an arcuate roll-bar secured in transverse relation about the mid-section thereof for guiding said auto in a lateral roll-over gyration on said course,

a permanent follower magnet secured in a lower portion of said auto in close proximity to the surface of said course when said auto is in normal position thereon for moving said auto in a forward direction on said course when attracted and moved by a traction magnet means,

a motivated permanent traction magnet means adapted and constructed for rotation in close proximity to the underside of said panel beneath said course for attracting said follower magnet and moving said auto in a predetermined path on said course when operated,

electric motor means for motivating said traction magnet means when energized,

a toy inclined ramp means fixed on said course in the said path positioned for engaging only the outer wheels of said auto when the latter is moved by motivating magnet means in said path and gyrating same to roll over on said roll-bar on said course from said outer path to an inner position thereon.

2. An auto exhibition toy comprising a horizontal nonmagnetic planar panel means having an endless auto course defined on the upper surface thereof having an inner and outer path,

a toy auto having free running front and rear wheels including a permanent follower magnet secured in a lower front portion of said auto in close proximity to the surface of said course when said auto is in normal position thereon for moving said auto in a forward direction when attracted and moved by a traction magnet means,

a power driven rotor means journalled for rotation in close proximity to the underside of said panel means about an axis normal thereto and central to said course,

a bar magnet secured on said rotor substantially radial to said axis and polarized in a transverse direction and positioned in close proximity to the underside of said panel below and transverse to said course for movement by said rotor around said course,

a permanent traction magnet means secured on said rotor in proximity to the outer end of said bar magnet and polarized in a direction normal to said panel for rotary movement on said rotor under said outer path whereby said toy auto positioned on said inner path of said course will be rotated and simultaneously moved on said course from said inner to said outer path by the magnetic attraction of said bar magnet and be retained for rotation in said outer path by said traction magnet means when said rotor is driven.

3. The construction recited in claim 2 including an arcuate roll-over bar transversely secured on said auto about the mid-section thereof for guiding said auto in a lateral roll-over gyration on said course,

a ramp means having a predetermined slope and secured on said course and positioned in said outer path whereby said auto will be engaged thereby and laterally gyrated one revolution into said inner path for re-rotation on said course when said rotor is operated.

4. An auto exhibition toy comprising a horizontal nonmagnetic planar panel means having an endless auto course defined on the upper surface thereof having an inner and outer path,

a toy auto having free running front and rear wheels including a permanent follower magnet secured in a lower portion of said auto in close proximity to the surface of said course when said auto is in normal position thereon for moving said auto in a forward direction when attracted and moved by a traction magnet means,

a power driven rotor means journalled for rotation in close proximity to the underside of said panel means about an axis normal thereto and central to said course,

a bar magnet secured on said rotor substantially radial to said axis and polarized in a transverse direction and positioned in close proximity to the underside of said panel below and transverse said course for movement by said rotor around said course whereby said auto positioned on said inner path on said course will rotate around said course and move outwardly thereon simultaneously in a spiral path into said outer path when said rotor is rotated.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,167,068 7/1939 Gueydan 273-86 X 2,770,073 11/1956 Sullivan 46239 X 2,918,284 12/1959 Beca 4624O X 2,961,796 11/1960 Davis 46-236 3,231,988 2/1966 'Freyde 46240 X F. BARRY SHAY, Primary Examiner.

R, F. CUTTING, Assistant Examiner. 

1. AN AUTO EXHIBITION TOY COMPRISING A HORIZONTAL NONMAGNETIC PLANAR PANEL MEANS HAVING AN AUTO COURSE DEFINED ON THE UPPER SURFACE THEREOF, A TOY AUTO HAVING FREE RUNNING FRONT AND REAR WHEELS INCLUDING AN ARCUATE ROLL-BAR SECURED IN TRANSVERSE RELATION ABOUT THE MID-SECTION THEREOF FOR GUIDING SAID AUTO IN A LATERAL ROLL-OVER GYRATION ON SAID COURSE, A PERMANENT FOLLOWER MAGNET SECURED IN A LOWER PORTION OF SAID AUTO IN CLOSED PROXIMITY TO THE SURFACE OF SAID COURSE WHEN SAID AUTO IS IN NORMAL POSITION THEREON FOR MOVING SAID AUTO IN A FORWARD DIRECTION ON SAID COURSE WHEN ATTRACTED AND MOVED BY A TRACTION MAGNET MEANS, A MOTIVATED PERMANENT TRACTION MAGNET MEANS ADAPTED AND CONSTRUCTED FOR ROTATION IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO THE UNDERSIDE OF SAID PANEL BENEATH SAID COURSE FOR ATTRACTING SAID FOLLOWER MAGNET AND MOVING SAID AUTO IN A PREDETERMINED PATH ON SAID COURSE WHEN OPERATED, ELECTRIC MOTOR MEANS FOR MOTIVATING SAID TRACTION MAGNET MEANS WHEN ENERGIZED, A TOY INCLINED RAMP MEANS FIXED ON SAID COURSE IN THE SAID PATH POSITIONED FOR ENGAGING ONLY THE OUTER WHEELS OF SAID OUT WHEN THE LATTER IS MOVED BY MOTIVATING MAGNET MEANS IN SAID PATH AND GYRATING SAME TO ROLL OVER ON SAID ROLL-BAR ON SAID COURSE FROM SAID OUTER PATH TO AN INNER POSITION THEREON. 